Klushuis

A klushuis, which might be translated as 'chore house' ('klus' in Dutch meaning 'chore') is a house or flat that is sold cheaply, in return for which the buyer undertakes to renovate it within a certain time. The buyer must stay in the dwelling for at least two years after it has been refurbished and may not sell or let it. The houses are often sold by local authorities or housing associations which own property in disadvantaged neighbourhoods, as a way of improving or gentrifying the neighbourhood by attracting owner-occupiers from higher social classes.

The idea behind klushuizen is that the buyer invests in his/her own property, and thus also in the neighbourhood. The houses are offered either individually or collectively: in the collective model, a buyers' association is set up to undertake the structural work jointly, after which the finishing is then done on an individual basis.

The concept was developed in Rotterdam in 2005 by the municipality, Urbannerdam consultants and Hulshof architects. Klushuizen can now be found in Amsterdam, Rotterdam, Arnhem and The Hague. The largest such project involves 500 homes in the Kleiburg, one of the hexagonal 'honeycomb' blocks in the Bijlmermeer estate in Amsterdam Zuidoost.

References
  1. Boonstra, Beitske; Lofvers, Willemijn (2017-04-13). "Rotterdam: Do-It-Yourself Assemblages in Urban Regeneration". Journal disP - The Planning Review. Informa UK Limited. doi:10.1080/02513625.2017.1316499.
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